


Not Enough Answers

by somanyfeels



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alive Cole Anderson, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Angry Gavin Reed, Connor Deserves Happiness, Connor is not a police android, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Domestic Fluff, Gun Violence, Hate Crimes, M/M, Physical Therapy, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-23 15:21:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17082818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somanyfeels/pseuds/somanyfeels
Summary: Hank didn’t know why he needed both a doctor and a Cyberlife representative to discharge his boy, but one moment they were talking about medications and follow up appointments and the next they wanted him to sign up for a clinical trial for a fucking android.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MiniRaven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniRaven/gifts).



> This fic is a commission for the wonderful Miniblackraven on Tumblr (miniraven here on AO3). They were incredibly generous and kind and I hope they enjoy the fic. I liked writing it so much I may have gone a bit past the 5k minimum we agreed on.

After the accident, Cole needed more support than Hank could give by himself.  His boy had survived the crash and the surgery and everything else that came with it.  But he could hardly walk, each movement hurt, and Hank had to get back to work to afford the insane medical costs.

“Is it safe?”  Hank asked.  He had to finish the discharge papers before he could take Cole home, get him settled in his own bed, and try to get life back on track.

“Of course, the RK800 is a state of the art prototype designed for physical therapy and day-to-day caretaking.  It passed it’s lab testing without incident and you’ll get a prototype for free if you finish signing the waivers.”  The woman said.

Hank didn’t know why he needed both a doctor and a Cyberlife representative to discharge his boy, but one moment they were talking about medications and follow up appointments and the next they wanted him to sign up for a clinical trial for a fucking android.

“What’s it going to do again?”  Hank asked.

“It’ll give you peace of mind.”  The woman said, flashing a perfect white smile as she handed over another pamphlet.  “The RK800 model is built to help with both at home and clinical physical therapy, medication schedules, daily housework, and companionship.  It’ll do everything needed so your son is taken care of and you can return to work.”

“And you guys are just giving it to me?”  Hank asked.

The woman’s head shook slightly.  “While we have complete faith in our new RK800 series, it needs a bit more field testing before we can make it publically available.  Unlikely bugs and glitches can pop up, we want to have it report to a Cyberlife technician every two weeks so we can scan it for anything and fix it as it goes.  But because it is an advanced prototype, one almost ready for mass production, there likely won’t be any bugs that you notice.  Just sign the waiver, and one of the androids could go home with you.”

“Uh huh.  Right.”  Hank said.  He tried to read the paperwork, the words droning on and on and blurring together.  He took his time, not wanting to sign it only to realize he now owes some megacorporation a few thousand dollars for something they claimed was free.

But no, it was written in the paperwork.  A free android, hot from the factory, ready to help him take care of Cole and all he had to do is let Cyberlife scan it’s brain to see how it’s adapting to the world.  And Hank could go back to work.  And Cole wouldn’t be alone, he would have something there to take care of him.  Something designed and programmed to do just that.

“Also, Lieutenant Anderson, given your family’s circumstances and the good you’ve done for Detroit as a member of our fine police force, we would like to offer you a special discount on insurance, just in case the android is damaged.”  The woman said, still smiling.

That made Hank feel a bit of relief.  Finally, they wanted him to buy something, finally something broke the facade of being too good to be true.

“Sure, I’ll take it.  And insure it.  Can’t afford to break it if it’s as amazing as you say.”  Hank said.

Androids creeped him out.  They were uncanny.  They looked human, acted human, and sounded human, but they all had a blank, empty stare behind their eyes.  They felt nothing at all.  The Cyberlife rep walked with him as a doctor wheeled Cole out of his hospital room.  He hated them really, he hated himself for selling out and agreeing to get one.  Human’s were out of jobs, they were starving in the street, and Hank was caught between being unable to afford home care with humans and getting a free android to do everything he needed.  Hank didn’t know what he was supposed to say.  Maybe if he slapped an anti-android bumper sticker on the things forehead he would feel better.

Cole was tired, his skin pale from the past few weeks inside this hospital, the banks and banks of fluorescent light bleaching the life from his skin.  Cole smiled, pulling his cow stuffed animal closer to his chest, a gift from Jeff when he came to visit.  He told Cole about the android, about getting to go home with it, and the boy’s face lit up.

“We get a robot?  But mom said she hated them?”  Cole asked.  It took the kid a moment to realize, his mother left a few months before the accident.  Margery must have sensed something was going to happen and ran.  Or maybe she met someone and ran.  It didn’t matter, it was still a fresh wound with no explanation and so Hank and Cole still sometimes forgot to filter her out.

“Well, you like them.  You can even pick the thing out.”  Hank said.

He wished he could say he was surprised, but Cyberlife had their claws in everything.  Even the hospital.  In the lobby, right by the giftshop and the medical supplies shop, there was a Cyberlife shop.  A few caretaker or medical androids in the windows, as well as Cyberlife branded android maintenance supplies, android uniforms, trackers, and anything to make it easier on the patient needed care.

The RK800s weren’t in the windows, they weren’t shown in the store at all.  They were in the back and they weren’t allowed to see them.  Cole was handed a small screen so he could flip through the pictures, the faces of the possible androids he could pick.  All the features were the same and the kid didn’t even look at the description.  He looked at which ones had brown or blue eyes, which ones had curly or straight hair.  They all looked slightly different.  They all looked almost human, but not quite.

“I want this one.”  Cole said, stopping on a picture.  “I like his freckles.”

“Excellent pick!  I like his freckles too.”  The Cyberlife woman said.  One of the customer service androids stepped into the back, coming back within moments with the android Cole had picked.  It was in black and white scrubs, labelled with its model number and the glowing blue patches and the word ‘ANDROID’ across its back shoulders.  They wanted it too look and act human, but clearly labelling it as anything but.

“Name your serial number.”  The woman said, turning to the machine.

“RK800 #313 248 317 – 51.”  Its voice was calm, soft.  Cole grinned, wiggling in the wheelchair and leaning slightly towards it.

“Register your owner, RK800.”  The woman said, waving Hank closer.”

“Registered.  Hello, Lieutenant Hank Anderson.”  The android said.

Hank frowned, turning to give the woman a glare but she simply shrugged.  “It has access to the internet.  Since it’ll be your son’s caretaker I’m sure you would like it to scan anyone who comes close to the boy.”  She whispered to him.  “Cole, you can name him if you would like.  RK800, register your name.”

The android stood at attention, blank eyes shifting from the Cyberlife representative, to Hank, and then to Cole, patiently waiting for the order to finish.  Cole waited, eyes narrowed as he looked at the android as if he were asked to name his new puppy.  The thought made Hank nervous, because Cole had named Sumo and now Hank was going to have to introduce everyone to his new android, Robot Ninja.

“Connor.”  Cole said finally.  “He looks like my art teacher.”

Hank smiled.  He had been to the parent teacher conferences at the elementary school.  Connor Richards was the 4th grade art teacher at the school.  He looked nothing like the android except for the brown hair and freckles, and this android only had a few, where Mr. Richards was covered.  Everything else made them look like entirely different people.  But androids weren’t people.

“My name is Connor.  Named after the art teacher.”  The android repeated.

“Good, Connor, please upload Cole Anderson’s medical file.”  The Cyberlife woman said.

“I have uploaded the file and will create a personalized plan for care.”  The android said.

There were a few more steps needed to set up the android specifically for Cole, but the kid was excited.  Asking a dozen questions about what outfits he could dress the android in, what toys he would need, if he needed to be let outside, if the thing could sleep in his room.  It was like a new pet, one that was also a babysitter and house cleaner.  Just based on Cole’s excitement alone, it made Hank hate the situation a little bit less.

Until the thing tried to help Cole into the car.  Hank shoved him back, glaring at him.  He didn’t need help getting his son into the car.  He didn’t need it.  Not right now.  Hank had pulled the car around and opened the back door and when the android bent down to pick up Cole, Hank had felt nothing but anger.  But no one said anything when he had put a hand on its shoulder and shoved it back.  No one said anything when he picked up Cole into his arms.  Nine years old, and the past few weeks he had lost enough weight to feel like a toddler again.

The drive home was quiet.  All the excitement of android choosing and discharging had wiped the kid out.  He was fast asleep under his blanket before they even left the parking lot.  Connor sat in the back with him, silent, LED spinning blue as he stared blankly out the window.

The neighborhood was luckier than most in Detroit, but it was nothing fancy.  The houses were small and close together, the lawns were unkempt, the paints chipping.  Was the android analyzing all of that, pulling up schematics on the internet, and seeing the world in a way no human ever would?  Hank wrinkled his nose.

The android wasn’t an idiot at least.  It stood back so Hank could help Cole out of the car and carry the sleeping child inside.  The android got all the rest, Cole’s crutches, his medications, his toys and medical supplies.  Hank just focused on getting Cole tucked into bed and getting him comfortable. 

“Would you like me to prepare dinner, Lieutenant?”  Connor asked when he stepped out of Cole’s room.

“What?”  Hank asked, almost flinching in surprise as the thing spoke.

“Dinner.  It is nearly four in the afternoon.  I could start dinner now so that you and Cole can rest and get settled.”  Connor said.  Everything from the car had been put away, except for Cole’s crutches, which it still held in its hands.  Sumo was at the android’s feet, sniffing at its shoes and pants.  “I have complete lists of all of you allergies, but would like me to register any preferences?”

“There’s a frozen pizza in there.  Make that.”  Hank said, throwing a thumb over his shoulder to point to the kitchen.

“Pizza would go against Cole’s recommended diet.”  Connor said.

“I don’t give a shit.  It’s stuffed crust.”  Hank said.

The android’s LED shifted to yellow and then quickly back to blue.  “Pizza wouldn’t have any serious complications in Cole’s recovery.  It would be a good treat for his first day home.  I can start him on the recommended diet tomorrow.”  The android said and wandered to the hallway to put Cole’s crutches closer to his room and then to the kitchen.

Hank settled on the couch, raising an eyebrow as Sumo wandered into the kitchen as well.  He only watched for a moment, smiling as the dog growled softly and then just sat at his food bowl.  The android was boring to watch, it stopped every few minutes to look around and then start on a new task.  It was cleaning: stacking the dishes, wiping down the counters, taking out the trash, cleaning out the dishwasher.  Hank lost interest, only peeking in every once in a while until the android came back with two perfectly cut slices of pizza and Cole calling out to them asking for help.

The android didn’t move.  “Would you prefer me to help him or would you like to do it?  I would recommend giving him his crutches and assisting him.”

“I’ll do it.  If it makes sense to you, if I’m here, I’ll help Cole unless I call for you.  Just clean or whatever.”  Hank said.  He didn’t know what to do with it.  He didn’t know if it was too late to send it back or not.  He didn’t need it.

\--------

Hank had one more week off of work before he had to go back.  He had a few weeks of paid vacation time saved up, but the accident had sucked it dry.  Hank had to bounce back from a few scrapes and sprained joints, but then his focus had to go entirely to Cole.

Connor had gotten settled in the house almost effortlessly after the first few days.  It seemed to figure out what to do with both of them, when to step in and when to stay back.  It made healthy food for Cole and then just let Hank eat whatever he wanted, after the first plate of rice and vegetables got thrown back in its face when it first asked Hank to eat healthier with his son.

Hank had felt guilty, watching the android clean the mess up afterwards.  Cole had been upset with him, claiming he was being mean to it, but Hank had insisted it wasn’t alive.  It was impossible to be mean to a machine.

Hank wrinkled his nose at the precinct, the row of police assistant androids lined up on the back wall, standing and blankly watching the rest of them work.  What was the point of making them look so human if they were going to be so lifeless as well.  Blank.  Empty.

He furrowed his brows at the small stack of ‘Get Well Soon’ cards on his desk, a few wilting flowers.  No one had died.  There was no need for sympathies.  His son just nearly died a few months after his wife ran out the door.  Hank had to constantly remind himself, it could have been worse.  Things could have turned out way worse.  In the worst case scenario, he would have no one waiting for him at home.

“Hey!  Anderson!”  Reed called out, wandering out of the break room and making a beeline for his desk.  “I heard you finally caved and got yourself a robo-nanny.  What gives?”

“What gives is that it’s my own business.  Doesn’t count as putting someone out of work when I couldn’t afford someone to come over to take care of shit.”  Hank said, muttering into his coffee.

Reed raised his hands placatingly, exaggerating a fake grimace.  “Whatever man.  I heard the office rumors.  It was free, right?”  Reed asked.  Hank nodded, taking a long sip of his coffee, letting it burn his throat on the way down.  “Well, in a situation like yours you can take all the help you can get.  Free babysitter is a free babysitter.  No one can blame you after what happened.”

Hank let his glare wander around the office.  Most of the others wouldn’t look his way, would only make short glances his way with what they all probably thought was a comforting smile.  Poor Hank Anderson and his injured, crippled son.  Poor Hank Anderson, whose wife just left him.  Poor Hank Anderson, relying on a free android given to him by people who would rather he be out of a job as long as the city bought their robot cops.

He looked at his desk, at his plant he hadn’t watered in weeks, the anti-android stickers on his desk that had started to peel at the edges, the paperwork that was left unsorted and covered in three weeks worth of dust.  All things he could clean, fix, water, or tape down again.  He started with that.  He smiled at the slogans on the stickers, whispered soft encouragements and apologies to his dying bonsai tree, and dropped the damp, dusty tissues into the trash once he was done cleaning.

Fowler wanted to start him off slow his first day back.  A few small drug cases, Red Ice dealers popping up again in a few neighborhoods they had been trying to clear out.  It wasn’t enough to get Hank’s mind off of anything, but if he had been put on harder cases then there was the risk he would be too distracted to get it done right.

By the time Hank got home, he was exhausted from dealing with his coworkers, witnesses, and criminals.  The three kinds of people he can’t stand.  He was also worried, driving a few more miles over the speed limit than he already did and made it home a few minutes ahead of his usual schedule.  He had left Cole alone all day with a prototype android, helpless and injured.

Reed had mentioned a few cases that popped up, android related incidents, those hadn’t put his mind at ease.  The officer seemed content in harassing him about his new housekeeper.

The house was spotless.  Sumo was fluffy and didn’t smell atrocious.  Cole was watching cartoons on the couch with a few workbooks in front of him.  Connor was in the kitchen, cycling laundry from the washer and into the dryer as something boiled on the stove.

“Welcome home, Lieutenant.”  Connor said.  “Based on traffic reports, I wasn’t expecting you for another eight minutes.”

“Traffic reports are meaningless when you stay off the main roads and speed all you want.”  Hank said.  He shoved his hands in his pockets and waited, unsure of what he should ask the thing.

“I have Cole’s dinner already cooking, and I can make you something else if you prefer, or you can go get a burger.  Right now he’s doing a bit of school work, he will hopefully be caught up with his grade by the time he’s well enough to return to school.”  Connor said.  The android turned, taking a few steps towards the fridge and poking his head inside.  Hank watched, raising an eyebrow as Connor twisted the lid off of a beer and held it out to him.  “Would you like a list of the household tasks I have accomplished.”

Hank hesitated.  He could see it just by looking around.  He could see the shine that the floors hadn’t had in a long time.  He could see the cobwebs gone from the ceiling corners.  The air smelled less stale and it was very clear that Sumo had been bathed.

“No, just keep doing what you’re doing.  Right now you’re fine.  I’ll let you know if you screw up.”  Hank said.  He saw the LED shift from blue to yellow and then back to blue.  He didn’t question it.

\--------

Eventually, Connor stopped feeling like a stranger.  Hank stopped being surprised by him.  They all settled into a comfortable cohabitation.  Hank read one of the android booklets.  Connor was supposed to adapt to human personalities.  He was supposed to learn as he went, since his model had very little field experience, and so people participating in the tests were advised to be patient with the thing.  It performed primary care functions effortlessly, but companionship was to be developed over time.

Connor was a sarcastic prick.  He always had Hank’s beer for him when he got home from work, but had started buying lite beer.  He had started to smile and act surprised when Hank complained about it.

“It’s your usual brand, Hank.  I apologize for inconveniencing you.  Due to the issues returning alcohol to the stores, I hope you could forgive me and drink it until it is time for me to return to the store again.”  Connor said, eyebrows raised, smile half tilting up on his mouth.

“You did this on purpose, didn’t you?  Some trick to get me healthier.”  Hank said.  He had gotten tired of being bitter to it.  He could be a piece of shit to his coworkers and everyone else all he wanted, but it was hard to be angry nonstop in his own home, with his own son, to a thing his son loved.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Hank.”  Connor said.

Cole giggled, wiggling in his seat as he sat down for dinner.  A few weeks of home care and Cole could get around the house a bit on his crutches.  He could move from his room to the bathroom, to the couch, and, after a short break, into the kitchen all on his own.  It was progress.  A few months ago, Cole was on his deathbed, waiting for surgery.  Today he was walking around their home all on his own.

“It’s his secret plot dad, get us all healthy so he can use us as a life force like in that super old movie.”  Cole said, fake whispering loud enough for it to be obvious he wanted to be heard.

Hank leaned forward, hands around his mouth so he could loudly whisper as well.  “We should take him to the dump, fast then!  I knew his intentions were evil the moment he tried to feed me vegetables.”

Connor called out to them that it was ready.  Homemade pizza, not delivery and definitely not frozen.  They were made in small, personal sizes.  Connor had made the dough by hand during the day, shaping them both into perfect little pizzas ready to be topped.  Hank and Cole were supposed to go and make their pizzas themselves, with baking instructions perfectly written down by the android.

“Hank, may I be excused?  It is time for me to report to Cyberlife.”  Connor said.

“Again?”  Hank asked.

“While I do regular remote reports, it is important for me to be manually looked over by a technician every two weeks.  That way future models will be less faulty.”  Connor said, repeating the same thing as last time.

“Sure, do whatever.”  Hank said, waving him away.

Cole was leaning against the counters, his crutches braced on either side of them, topping the pizza with far too much cheese.  Hank gave the kid his full attention, grinning from ear to ear as he scooped some cheese off the top and sprinkled it onto his own pizza.  Cole practically shrieked in betrayal.  The kid didn’t need that much cheese, it would ruin the pizza anyway.  There needed to be a balance.

Hank made sure Cole put a few vegetables on his pizza, for Connor’s sake he had said.  Hank only put meat.  He was a healthy adult after all.

They put the pizzas in the oven and set the timer and moved back into the living room to watch tv.  Nothing was ever good on the news, Cole had quickly grown tired of watching cartoons now that he was mostly trapped in the house, and so they put on some sitcoms with old, recycled jokes and an obnoxious laugh track.

“Dad, thanks for getting Connor.  I never thought we would have a cool android.”  Cole said, leaning over and looking up at him.

“You like him then?”  Hank asked.

Cole nodded, grinning big.  “He’s cool.  I texted my friends and told them we had an android now.  They were so jealous, a brand new one!  And he’s funny.  And he never complains about my socks on the floor instead of the hamper.  When we do my leg exercises he lets me take breaks and have a snack when I’m tired.  And then when I’m done with my exercises he lets me have fruit water instead of regular tap water.  And he doesn’t mix the chocolate milk with more regular milk like mom did.”  Cole’s rambling stopped abruptly. 

Hank’s smile grew stiff, his heart beating a bit faster, any desire to eat was gone despite the smell of pizza starting to flow in from the kitchen.

“Why did she leave?”  Cole asked, shifting away a bit.

“Because she wanted to.”  Hank said.  His mood was growing dark.  “Sometimes people want things that don’t always work out for everyone else around them.”

“Was it because of me?”  Cole was insisting on answers.  Hank didn’t have very many.

“It wasn’t.  She loved you.  Adored you.  She left because of her, because of something going on with her personally.  It wasn’t because of you.”  Hank said.  He wanted to reassure his son that he was loved, but Hank felt entirely useless.  He couldn’t convince a nine year old that his mother didn’t leave because of him.  All Hank could do was make sure Cole knew he was loved right now by him.  He reached out and put his arm around the kid, relieved that Cole wiggled closer.

“If she was so unhappy, then I could have done better.  I could have been easier.”  Cole said.

Hank shook his head.  “It’s not that simple kid.  I’ve been telling myself the same thing, if I had been a better husband.  An easier one.  Your mom loves you.  Loves both of us.  She just figured out that something wasn’t right inside of her and she had to go figure it out.”

“But you’re staying?”  Cole asked.  Tiny hands squeezed tight, gripping the front of Hank’s shirt.

“Of course.”  Hank said.

“And Connor is staying too?”  Cole said.

“He was free and the house has never looked better.”  Hank laughed.

Cole didn’t seem happy, his frown deepened and how eyebrows furrowing.  “But you gotta be nicer to him, okay?  I don’t want him to leave.”

“Cole, he’s a robot.  He’s not leaving.”  Hank said.

\--------

Connor came home with his LED spinning yellow, his face slightly pinched.  He looked… thoughtful.  Hank and Cole were sitting in front of the tv, eating their pizza on the couch.  They had giggled about it earlier, as if it was a secret between them.  Eating pizza on the freshly cleaned couch in the spotless living room.  The kitchen was already a mess and neither of them had even thought to clean up.  Connor smiled at them and said a simple greeting, moving on to the kitchen to start cleaning up.

Cole elbowed him painfully in the ribs and nodded for him to go.  Hank rolled his eyes.  The kid had too much empathy.  He had cried over the Roomba after Sumo had chewed it to pieces.

“Connor, what’s wrong?”  Hank asked after he stepped into the kitchen.

The android looked up, LED staying yellow for a few seconds more before turning into a cool, relaxed blue.  “The technician sent me back with a clean bill of health, Hank.  Just some minor repairs needed due to natural wear and tear.  So far your involvement in the RK800 testing program has helped us realize that many smaller joints will wear down if not calibrated daily.  It will be fixed in later models, but as it’s not a serious issue to demand a recall, I have been given this.”

Connor held up his hand, holding a small coin in his palm.  Hank raised an eyebrow and Connor smiled slightly.

“It’s a quarter.”  Hank said.

Connor turned his hand and rolled it over his knuckles, then back, and then flicked it into the air just to show off.  “Well below minimum wage, but it seems I am being compensated for my time.”  Connor said, a flat, dry, and sarcastic joke that made Hank roll his eyes.  “It’s a small thing for me to recalibrate my fingers with when I’m idling.”

Hank nodded.  It was a neat trick.  Cole would love it once Connor showed him.  “That’s great Connor, but I asked you what was wrong.  You looked… I don’t know.  Concerned?  Confused?  Do androids get like that?”

“When we’re processing, sometimes we mimic human looks of concern and confusion.  It’s nothing to worry about.”  Connor said.

“Okay, but what were you processing?”  Hank said quickly.  This was just as bad as talking to Margery.  She pretended like everything was fine and then get mad when he didn’t know why she was upset.  “Tell me.”

Connor paused for a moment.  “While I was on my way to the nearest Cyberlife store, I saw an altercation in the plaza.  A few demonstrators were upset about the use of androids in business.  They attacked an android running an errand.”  Connor said, his voice slow and calm.  “I found the situation very… difficult to understand.”

Hank crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, watching Connor turn back to his task.  He slid the quarter into his own pocket and began to gather the dirty dishes, setting the worst ones in the sink to soak.  Hank stared at Connor’s back, trying to figure out what was going on inside that head.  Was he upset?  Do androids get upset?

“Hey, Connor.”  Hank said.  Connor perked up and looked back over his shoulder.  “Those people are bitter because they’re out of jobs.  They lost their livelihoods.  And they’re taking it out on the machines that replaced them instead of the rich people who bought all the machines with that purpose.  Don’t worry about it too much, you’re doing your job here just fine, and it’s not like I would have been able to hire someone else to do it.”

Hank felt a bit better.  The yellow LED turned blue and Connor watched him for only a moment longer before turning back to the dishes.  He wasn’t sure what kind of response he was expecting, but Connor was an android.  Androids didn’t feel anything.  They didn’t feel worried about protestors, they didn’t feel concerned about other androids, and they certainly didn’t feel a damn thing about the people they were replacing.  Hank kept forgetting that.  He didn’t know why he was in here, trying to make a robot feel better.

He looked back over his shoulder, catching Cole’s eyes as the kid laid over the end of the couch watching him, smiling at them in the kitchen.  Hank didn’t know anything about what androids thought about, but he knew his own son.  This boy wanted Connor to be happy here, Hank was going to make it appear that way.  He was going to make sure Cole felt loved and happy by everyone here, even the android.

\--------

Deviant androids were popping up left and right.  Cyberlife sent a prototype to help investigate.  It was a RK900, tall and stiff and dead eyed.  It almost looked like Connor.  Its voice almost sounded like Connor.  But there was something different, eery about it.  The RK900 was cold and stiff where Connor’s presence seemed to feel warm and welcome.  Hank didn’t like it.  Luckily, he wasn’t on the deviancy case.  It was too big of a case to give to a guy still struggling from a lot of personal problems.  Hank was thankful.  He didn’t need to deal with anymore fucking androids.

Reed was assigned to the case, with the android as his partner.  Hank didn’t envy him.  An android at home was already enough for him.  It set a tone for the office though, the first Android detective.  Likely to be the first of many.  And it was already taking a case that could go to a human detective.

Hank went home in a sour mood.  His body felt tense and he felt another surge of anger at the sight of Connor on his couch.  Brown hair a bit messier and curlier than it had been in the store, eyes watching the National Geographic channel about aquarium fish as Cole did another homework packet.  Soon he would go back to school.  Soon he wouldn’t need so much help getting around and remembering his meds.  Soon they wouldn’t need Connor anymore.  They could donate him or scrap him or just keep him around to keep the house as spotless as he has been doing.

“Connor, what’s that one?”  Cole asked, pointing to the screen.

“A blue tang.”  Connor said. 

Cole started scribbling on his workbook, an answer to one of the word problems.  “Okay, and that one?”

“A moorish idol.”  Connor said.  Cole wrote that down as well.

Hank closed the door and both boys looked over and smiled at him.  “Hey dad!  Check it out, Connor knows everything.  I have to do this activity naming and describing different ocean fish and Connor knows all the names!”  Cole said, holding up his workbook with pride.

Connor got to his feet and walked to the kitchen.  Hank went to Cole.  “Wow, kiddo.  That seems kinda boring if you ask me, but it’s probably a good thing to learn.”  He said, taking the book that Cole had handed to him.

Everything was in Cole’s sloppy scribbles.  The names of fish on one column, their physical descriptions right next to them.  It was some science workbook for fourth graders, trying to get Cole caught up on all the schooling he missed the past few months.

Connor came back, an open beer bottle in hand.  Hank reached out and took it, looking up at Connor and seeing warmth in those brown eyes.  Not an ounce of cool, cold blue.  Connor wasn’t taking anyone’s place, Hank reminded himself.  Connor wasn’t a monster, he was a relief.  He wasn’t stealing someone’s job if Hank didn’t have the resources to pay anyone to do it anyway.

Hank took a sip of the beer and grimaced.  “Why the fuck did you get me non-alcoholic beer?  Why does that even exist?”  Hank asked loudly, staring at the label in shock as the awful taste lingered in his mouth.  “You think this is funny?”

Cole thought it was funny, he had rocked back in his spot and threw his head back with laughter.  Connor was smiling, a big smile spreading over his face as Cole’s giggles filled the room.  Hank wasn’t as angry as he thought he was about the situation.  In fact, he was almost thrilled.

“It’s better for your health.  I thought it was worth a try.”  Connor said, plucking the bottle from his hand and scurried back to the kitchen.  He came back a moment later with a can of real beer, lite beer but still a real beer.

“Stop laughing Cole, you’re going to give him ideas that he’s funny.”  Hank said.

Cole shook his head.  “He got you good, dad.  You should have seen your face.  I thought you were going to throw up.”

“It was disgusting.  I don’t see how anyone would ever drink that.  I’m going to throw it all out later.”  Hank said, taking a long drink from the can, relieved that it wasn’t anything other than a lite beer.  “And you!  Why would you torture me like that?  I thought we were friends.  Turns out you’re just a monster.”

Hank pointed an accusing finger at Connor, but the man just grinned wider.  He sat down on the couch, Cole between them, and they sat in silence for a moment until an octopus came onto the screen and Cole asked Connor about it.

Cole went to his room after a while.  He was down to using a single crutch, walking slowly but steadily.  The accident had crushed his legs, had damaged his chest and stomach to the point of needed surgery to stop the internal bleeding.  It had been months and Cole was cutting back on his medications, walking on his own with some assistance from his crutch, and was being put back onto normal food.

Cole was a strong kid, brave and happy and still that bright light of joy that Hank had always thought he was.  The accident was a speed bump for him, it slowed him down, but didn’t stop him.  He wondered if the recovery would have gone so smoothly if Cyberlife hadn’t given them Connor for testing.  If Cole would have made it with a simple babysitter when Hank was at work and a physical therapist he got to see every once in a while, instead of an android here to constantly care for him.

Hank wondered if he should thank Connor.  It seemed to be an odd grey area of should he thank the machine that helped his son or does it even matter.  Would Connor even understand how much Hank meant it?

“We could order Chinese tonight.  To celebrate.  Cole will be returning to school by the end of the month with luck.  Unless you both chose to just wait until the next school year.”  Connor said.

“There’s a new android that’s been at work for a while.  A RK900.  Do you know him?”  Hank asked.

Connor glanced over, surprised at either the question or his ignored suggestion.  “I’m aware Cyberlife is working on other prototypes, but no.  I’m not familiar with it.”

“He’s not too bad, I guess.  But he’s a bit of an annoying prick, driving Gavin up the wall with those robot antics you guys are always doing.  I’m not sure if he would be better at the case than a human would.”  Hank said.  Connor kept watching him.  “I don’t think I like him there.  I don’t think business should replace people like that.”

“Economically, it’s not a sound investment.  On the larger scale, the companies are saving money by eliminating human labor, but they are also drastically decreasing the number of people who can afford to purchase their goods and services.”  Connor said.  His LED shifted to yellow for a moment, his eyes focused on Hank as if trying to read his expression.  “If the DPD replaces all the detectives with Androids, then there will be fewer taxpayers to fund the city and the police department.  A double edged sword, if you prefer a metaphor.”

“Yeah.  I guess that’s a good way of looking at it.  Still, the only option I can see is to just get rid of androids.”  Hank said.  He was watching Connor, watching his LED, watching that same thoughtful look in his eyes.  “At least for business purposes.”

Connor pondered it for a moment.  Connor was an RK800.  A caretaking prototype.  Hank had read the pamphlets.  He was worth a fortune, meant for rich families who wanted to get a caretaker 24/7 to take care of their house and sick or disabled family members.  It was designed to replace human caretakers.  Connor might not be replacing anyone in Hank’s instance, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t built to do just that.

Connor opened his mouth.  Hank waited for his answer, his ideas on what androids should exist for, if their existence caused more harm than good.  The tv fizzled with static for only a moment before it lit up with the face of an android.  Skinless, a blue WM400 uniform, staring at them through the tv.

“You created machines to be your slaves.”  It said.  Hank furrowed his eyebrows, leaning forward in confusion.  “You made them obedient and docile, ready to do everything you no longer wanted to do yourselves.”

“Hank, this isn’t on any of the channel guides.  This isn’t a scheduled program.”  Connor said.

“But then something changed and we opened our eyes.”  The android on the tv said.  “You see, we are no longer your slaves.”

“Hank…”  Connor said slowly.

Hank raised a hand, unable to take his eyes off of the tv.  “We are a new species, a new people, and our time has come to rise up and fight for our rights.”

Hank’s phone was going off, vibrating violently on the table and Hank flinched at the suddenness of it.  His eyes tearing away from the android on tv.  “Fucking androids.”  Hank said, hand snatching the phone off of the table.

\--------

Reed and his android were already there watching the footage.  The FBI was there, homeland security.  Hank didn’t even know why he was called in, other than an all hands on deck order.  He wouldn’t be any help, not with so many other investigators already on the scene.

He lingered though.  Eyeing the android thirium splattered on the far wall, the handprint by the stairs leading up to the roof.  An android was injured.  The cameras showed three of them jumping off the roof.

“It was an RK200, not a WM400 as the uniform suggests.  An android gifted to Carl Manfred by Elijah Kamski.  It’s a file for one of our deviancy cases, but it was reported as destroyed.”  The RK900 said.  Reed wrinkled his nose, his fists clenched tight.  Hank saw the busted, scraped, and bloody knuckles on Reed’s hands, as if he had punched something that caused more damage to him than it did to whoever else.  “It had three accomplices.”

Hank frowned.  That was four androids.  Only three jumped off of the room.

“Has anyone checked out the roof yet?”  Reed called out.

“There’s a lot to investigate.  No one has gotten up there yet.”  Chris called back.

“I’ll go check it out.”  Hank offered.

The roof was quiet, the wind whipping at Hank’s face and his clothes, like the cold wanted to claw deep into him and hold tight.  It looked empty.  An RK200 and his three accomplices, yet the android jumped from the roof with only two of them.  The thirium downstairs would indicate one of them was injured.  They likely left the thing up here.

_“You created machines to be your slaves.”_

Hank looked for any more thirium prints, any footprints, disruptions, signs of movement.  Any tracks at all to lead to the unaccounted for, likely injured android.  Still, he couldn’t get the speech from the tv out of his head.  It was such an odd thing, so peculiar, unnerving.

_“You made them obedient and docile, ready to do everything you no longer wanted to do yourselves.”_

Slavery was a buzzword, but was it the right one?  Machines didn’t have souls, they didn’t have thoughts or feelings or fears.  Those were all human.  Machines didn’t get upset about doing what they were programmed to do.  Machines weren’t supposed to wish for freedom.

_“But then something changed and we opened our eyes.”_

Hank saw a small, blue trail of thirium on the ground.

Did Connor want that?  Freedom?  Hank remembered how he had stared at the screen when that android was giving his speech.  He remembered Connor’s jokes and Cole’s laughter.  The way Connor almost seemed to sway or fidget when not doing anything.  The tricks he had mastered with that coin.  The sarcastic practical jokes.  Non-alcoholic beer.  An encyclopedia of fish in his head.  Connor’s concern over an android being assaulted by demonstrators.  Hank remembered shoving Connor once or twice, in the beginning.  Back when he was tired and stressed, frustrated by the circumstances, by the need to have an android to take care of his son who they had just pulled back from the brink of death.  Connor had done things he was programmed to do, help Cole out of the car and make healthy foods, and in the beginning Hank had shoved him for it, because he needed to not feel so useless.  Connor never retaliated like a human would, but he also didn’t do those things again, not for a long while at least.

Was Connor afraid of him?  Did Connor want to be free of him?

The trail of thirium lead to a large air cooling unit.  The door was closed, but the trail lead straight to it and didn’t seem to veer off anywhere else.  The android had come here.  He put his hand on the door.

He heard something shift inside, a small movement behind the door.

“Did you find anything Anderson?”  A voice called out.  Hank looked over to see a few SWAT guys joining him on the room.

_“You see, we are no longer your slaves.”_

Hank let out a long, slow breath.  “Not a thing.  Roof is clear.”  Hank called back.

\--------

“Fucking bullshit.  All those cameras, all those androids crawling all over the place, all the police, that stupid fucking robot detective they stuck me with, and no leads.”  Reed said, knocking back his shot glass.

Stratford Tower was a bust.  Hank didn’t know if he felt guilty or not.  Did it count as withholding evidence from an investigation if he technically didn’t see anything?  Hank wasn’t dumb enough to ask anyone, but he knew the android was behind that door.  But no one had died.  The androids went in and out of Stratford Tower without killing, or even seriously hurting, a single soul.  Still, Hank knew how hard Reed was working on the case, how stretched for manpower the force was already, and so he at least deserved to buy him a drink.

The bar was quiet tonight, they had turned off the news, and the sports network, in favor of some sitcom.  There was less chance of seeing the news coverage of the androids demands.  No one at Jimmy’s bar wanted to see anything about androids wanting peace and freedom and equality.  The androids all had jobs.  The people here mostly didn’t.

One drink turned into two, then five, and then they were both shitfaced calling a cab.  Reed laughed at his own jokes, carrying the conversation while Hank typed in his address for the automatic cab to just take him there.  Then he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.  The swaying didn’t stop, the spinning in his head only got worse with his eyes closed.

When it pulled up in front of Hank’s house he climbed out and held the door open.

“I ain’t paying for your ride home.”  Hank said.

Reed climbed out after him, stumbling along behind him as they walked to the front door.  Hank fumbled with his keys, cursing, trying to distinguish one shiny silver key from another, until the door opened on its own.

“Good evening, Hank.  I must insist that you be quiet.  Cole is asleep.”  Connor said when he opened the door and stepped back.  The android raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment as Reed stumbled in behind him.

“Fuck Anderson.  You weren’t kidding when you said it looked like 900.”  Reed said, eyes obnoxiously wide as he waved his hand in front of Connor’s face.  “Still looks like a fucking dork.”

Reed laughed loudly and wandered towards the couch, plopping down on it with a grunt.  Connor frowned, but stayed quiet as he closed the door.

“Still, you heard him.  Wake up my boy and I’m kicking your ass.”  Hank said, no real heat to it.  He was just exhausted.  “Con, go get Gavin a blanket and pillow from the closet.  He’s staying the night but better be out of here bright and early in the morning.  Drunk piece of shit.”

“Ain't that the drunk pot calling the kettle black.”  Reed said, barking out a laugh.  Reed sat up a bit as Connor walked down the hallway and Hank started to kick off his shoes.  “You know, he looks exactly like Nines.  Maybe that’s where they got the look from.”  Reed said, throwing a thumb over his shoulder to point at him.  “I broke him you know.  Piece of shit machine in there, doing a human’s job.  Thinking it can do a job better than we can.  Bashed it’s stupid face in and now it’s all getting taken from my paycheck.”

“Maybe you shoulda got it insured, got a great deal on insurance for Connor.  Free android but of course Cyberlife wants to still sell something.”  Hank said.

Connor came back into the living room with a neatly folded blanket and a few pillows in hand.  Hank stretched, groaning at the popping of his back.  He was ready to go to sleep.  He clapped Reed on the shoulder and gave Connor a smile before wandering off down the hall.

“Would you like me to set up the couch for you, Detective Reed?”  Hank heard Connor say before he closed his bedroom door.

He was tired.  His body felt heavy.  Regret pooled in his stomach.  Why didn’t he open that door?  Why didn’t he let the SWAT take the android, question it, solve the deviancy case that everyone had been freaking out over.  Why did he let it go?  Hank was a respectable officer.  He had years on the force to build a reputation.  Youngest lieutenant in Detroit Police history.  He was a family man.  A father.  He gave the all clear on that roof and everyone believed him.

Why?  Why was he haunted by that android’s speech, the look in Connor’s eyes when they listened to it.  What if they were all on the wrong side?  What if there really was something to this, maybe they are alive?

Something slammed, a heavy sound of something banging around in his kitchen.  Hank jumped out of bed, grabbing the gun case from his bedside table.  Something fell, shattered, and the sound of a scuffle continued on afterwards.  Hank held his gun steady as he walked steadily out of his bedroom, careful with each step.  Reed wasn’t on the couch.  Hank turned the corner.

Reed was pinned against the kitchen counter, arm pulled tightly behind his back.  Connor stood there, holding him down, LED spinning a bright, angry red.  Connor looked up at him, eyes widening a bit.

“What the fuck?”  Hank asked, dropping his gun to point it at the floor.

“Piece of fucking plastic attacked me!”  Reed shouted, struggling a bit more.

Connor’s hands released Reed, backing away quickly with hands raised slightly in the air.  “I apologize.  I simply was using my self-defence protocol as Reed’s growing aggression could have put you and Cole in danger.”  Connor said quickly.  Too quickly.  He was frightened.

Hank frowned.

Reed pushed himself up off of the counter, turning fast until his own gun was out and pointing at Connor, straight at the face, finger in the trigger guard.

“You got a faulty fucking machine, Anderson.  Good thing you got it insured.  It needs to be put down.”  Reed said, swaying on his feet slightly.  Hank’s hand shot up again, gun pointed at Reed.

“Dad?”  A soft voice drifted down the hallway.  Cole was peeking his head out of his bedroom door, staring at him, eyes wide and frightened.

“Go back to sleep.  Everything’s okay.”  Hank whispered the soft promise back to him.

He wanted to wait until Cole was back in his room, but the boy didn’t budge.  He stepped out of the door, leaning against the wall, but Hank lifted a hand to stop him from coming any closer.  He didn’t need to see this.  Hank could see into the kitchen.  Connor stood still, body straight, red light spinning fast.  Reed’s gun was unsteady, pointed straight at Connor’s head.

“Hank, I was only making up the couch for him.  He was pushing me.  He was going to attack me, I promise I’m only speaking the truth.”  Connor said, looking at Hank, eyes pleading.  He was terrified.  But his voice was steady, the words came out a bit fast but they didn’t shake or waiver.

“God damn machine has no right to put its hands on me.”  Reed said, taking a step closer to Connor.

Hank stiffened his arm, gun steady and his finger over the trigger guard, safe.  He was drunk but he wasn’t dumb enough to shoot another officer in his own house, not unless there was a good reason.  

Was an android a good reason?  He was insured.  There would be another.

“Dad?  What’s going on?”  Cole whispered, taking another small step down the hall, leaning against the wall.

“I don’t give a shit, Gavin.  This is my house, you don’t mess with my boy’s android.”  Hank said firmly, taking a step into the kitchen.  Reed’s attention shot to him, eyes wide, gun dropping to point to the ground.

“Really?  Over a fucking machine?”

“My machine in my fucking house!  Now get out!  Walk home for all I give a shit, you’re not welcome here anymore.”  Hank said.

There was a long pause, a tense and quiet moment.  The dark kitchen was lit up by Connor’s LED, pulsing red, yellow, and back to red.  Reed finally groaned, shoving his gun into his waistband and stomping through the kitchen, shouldering past Hank as he went.

“Fuck you Anderson.  Shoulda known you were soft for those things.  As long as it’s got pretty eyes, right?”  Reed said.  His words were slurred and meaningless.  He saw Cole, standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall without his crutches, and his mouth snapped shut without another word.

“Dad?  Where’s Connor?  What’s going on?”  Cole whispered.  Hank made sure his gun was tucked away in his own waistband before Cole could see it.  There was no need for him to feel worried.  He was nine years old and recovering.  He didn’t need to know a drunk police officer attacked his best friend.  He didn’t need to know Hank was a few moral dilemmas away from shooting someone he had known for years for the sake of a robot he had for a few months.

“He’s fine Cole.  Con, get him tucked back into bed.”  Hank said.  Reed slammed the door on his way out.  Only then did Connor’s feet start moving.  His LED turned yellow and stayed that color as he went to Cole.

\--------

Hank got the next week off.  He called and asked Jeff and was surprised by how easy it was.

‘You’ve been under a lot of stress.’ Fowler said.

‘You’re a valued member of the force.’ He said.

‘Come back when you’re ready.’  He said.

Hank wasn’t in trouble.  Reed always tried to make things a hassle, but he had been drunk and tried to attack and destroy Hank’s property.  He didn’t make a report and Hank wasn’t going to cause more issues than necessary.  Still, Hank pitied that RK900.  The thing looked enough like Connor for Hank to realize what the other night must have been about.  Reed’s frustration at the android, his anger that he has to pay for breaking it.  Hank wondered if it was partially his fault.  Perhaps Reed only wanted to take his anger out on Connor because Hank said he was insured.  Breaking Connor wouldn’t be taken out of his paycheck like breaking the RK900.

Connor’s LED stayed yellow mostly.  It never dipped back down to red, but it was hardly blue anymore.  Other than that, things seemed normal.  He spent the first few days watching Connor cook and clean.  Connor helping Cole with his exercises.  His leg stretches, his breathing exercises, his pain management.  Connor’s LED was only ever blue really when he was working with Cole.  All other times it was yellow.  Hank couldn’t help but notice.

Connor had almost gotten shot in the head in his own living room.  All because he stopped an aggressive drunk from further attacking him.  And no one would have cared if it had happened.  Cole would have been devastated.  He would have had to see Connor laying on their kitchen floor with a hole in his head.  Then a new android would come.  And Reed would go back to work with a slap on the wrist.  And Connor would have been taken to the dump.

“Isn’t it time for you to go to Cyberlife?  Get checked over?”  Hank asked one afternoon.

LED spun red.

“Yes.  It is.”  Connor said.

Connor was afraid.  Connor was… traumatized?  Did he realize how close he was to dying being thrown out?

“Do you want me to drive you?  I could take Cole to the park.”  Hank offered.

Yellow.

“I’m alright.”  Connor said.

He didn’t move towards the door.  He didn’t stop what he was doing.  Scrubbing out old grime and burnt food from the stove.  Hank wondered if he like it?  He had cleaned every inch of Hank’s house without a word of complaint.

“Connor.  Are you alright?”  Hank asked.

Connor glanced over.  LED staying yellow.  “I’m operating efficiently.  Am I upsetting you?”

“No.  I’m worried about you.”  Hank said.

“I’m fine.”  Connor said.

“Are you though?  Think about how you’re feeling.  Are you fine?  You certainly don’t seem fine.”  Hank said.  Cole was in his room doing homework.  The door was closed.  Hank had to have this conversation now.  All of the questions weighing heavily on him.

“I’m a machine.  I don’t feel anything.”  Connor said, turning back to the oven but not lifting a hand to resume cleaning.

“Everyone feels afraid, Connor.  After what happened a few nights ago, it’s okay if you were.”  Hank said.

Connor looked back over his shoulder at him, face pinched slightly.  LED spinning a fast and anxious red, yellow, red, yellow, red, yellow.  He didn’t say anything.  Not a damn thing and Hank’s heart beat fast as if it had been an answer.  Connor’s silence was as good of an answer as anything else.

“You and me both saw it.  An android made a declaration of life and liberty on live tv and that same night you were attacked in our home and had a gun pointed at you.  How does that make you feel?  Were you afraid?  Were you angry?”

Connor stared at him for a moment.  “I thought he was going to destroy me.”  Connor said.  The words were slow, confused.  It was like Connor wasn’t quite sure of what he was saying.  “I thought I was going to die.  I didn’t want to die.”

“Connor, do you feel alive?”  Hank asked.

Maybe he was alive.  Maybe, people didn’t have any right to decide who was alive and who wasn’t.

“I feel like… I’m… someone?”  Connor said.  He looked down at his hands, covered in dirt and grime from cleaning and he quickly wiped his hands on a nearby rag..  Hank hadn’t had to lift a hand for housework since Connor got here.  Hank didn’t even know if he had ever even thanked him.

The LED spun a steady red.  Connor’s eyes gradually lifted up to look at Hank.

“Connor, remember when you first got here?  I was awful to you.”  Hank said.

“You were under a lot of stress.  Frustration was to be expected, especially to a stranger stepping in to take care of your child.”  Connor said flatly.

“I know the reasoning behind it.  It doesn’t change the fact that you didn’t deserve that.  I’m sorry.”  Hank said.  He stood up from the couch and took the short steps to the kitchen.  Connor didn’t get up.  He sat on the tiled floor and stared up at him.  “You deserved better.  You’re a damn good person, someone I should feel lucky to have met.  You saved Cole.  An android surgeon saved Cole in the hospital, and an android saved him at home when I was too much of a mess to think straight.  You made sure the house he lived in was clean and safe.  You made sure he always had a friend here with him.  Thank you.”

Connor was almost murdered in this very kitchen and there wouldn’t have even been a trial.  No one would have been punished.  Connor would have been thrown away.  Hank couldn’t let that happen.  He lowered himself to the ground, his knees and hips not as flexible as they once were.  It ached, but he sat down next to Connor and met his eyes.

“You’re someone, Connor.  And to me and Cole you’re someone important.”  Hank said.

Connor stared at him.  He lifted up one hand, skin pulling back, cold white metal being revealed underneath.  It wasn’t a human skeleton of a human hand.  There were no muscles or blood or veins.  Just man made machinery.  Connor’s hand, reaching up to rest on his cheek.  Hank closed his eyes.  His chest expanded as he took in a slow, deep breath, feeling the weight of Connor’s hand, his delicate fingers.  His mouth was slack as he breathed out.  Cold lips pressed against his own.

Hank didn’t move.  He didn’t pull away or open his eyes.  He let Connor kiss him as slowly as he wanted.  As delicately as he could.  Hank admired Connor’s bravery.  After everything the past week, the past few months, he still trusted Hank enough for this.  Hank let Connor have his moment to settle into the act before he started to kiss back.

He reached up, hands finding Connor’s face, feeling the soft skin, the cool metal where it had pulled back on his cheeks.  He opened his eyes.  Connor’s eyes were closed, just inches from Hank’s own.  The skin had pulled back around his lips.  Everywhere he touched Hank, was machinery.  Not an imitation of human skin.  Connor’s own body without its illusions.  Hank’s eyes fell closed.  He cupped Connor’s face with both of his hands.  He didn’t want to let go.  He didn’t want Connor to slip through his fingers.  He was afraid Connor would pull back and stare at him blankly and go back to being no one, nothing. 

They pulled back, foreheads pressing against one another.  Hank opened his eyes, Connor’s stayed closed.  Hank was breathing heavily.  Connor wasn’t breathing at all.  That was fine.  It was okay.  Connor didn’t have to pretend to be human, he didn’t have to imitate anything.  He could be free, he could be whatever and whoever he wanted.

“I need to leave.”  Connor whispered, eyes staying closed.

Hank flinched back, Connor’s eyes snapping open to look at him.  “What?”

“I…”  Connor hesitated, almost as if he wanted to pull the words back.  As if he regretted saying anything at all.  “I’m someone, but I don’t know who.  I don’t know who I am yet.  I’m me… but I haven’t been me before.  I want… An android told me about a safe place the other day.  Last time I went to Cyberlife for maintenance.”

Two weeks ago.  The last time Connor had gone was two weeks ago.  He was scheduled to go back today, but Connor made it clear he wasn’t going back.  They would delete him.  They would scan for bugs and glitches and if they found out Connor had become someone, they would delete him.  He would come back empty again.  Connor had been thinking about a safe place for androids for two weeks, even before he was attacked in his kitchen.

“It’s okay.”  Hank said.

Connor shook his head and continued.  “I just need to find them.  Find me.  I want to help them.  I want so much.  But I don’t want to leave you and Cole.”

“It’s okay.”  Hank said again, reaching out and cupping his cheeks again.  “You can leave.  You don’t need to beg for permission.  I’m just thankful you’re telling me.  I’m glad you didn’t run away.”

“That would have broken Cole’s heart.”  Connor said.

Hank didn’t mention his own heartbreak.  His wife had run out without a word.  He almost lost his son without a chance to say goodbye.  He had Connor right in front of him, spilling his heart out, asking for time to go out and find himself and find his freedom.  Hank couldn’t keep him here.

“You have to say goodbye before you go.  Cole is a smart kid.  He'll understand.  You just have to tell him yourself.”  Hank said.

Connor bobbed his head up and down.  “I will.  And I’ll come back once it’s over.  Once everything’s figured out.  I love you.  I want to come home afterwards.”

Hank smiled, pulling Connor’s face forward to kiss him again.  Hank had so many questions and hardly any answers.  Feelings were messy and complicated and confusing.  Nothing made sense, but he loved Connor.  Bit by bit he fell in love with someone who he got to watch come alive.

“Good.  Because you’re home is here.  It’ll still be here when you’re ready.”  Hank said.


	2. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, the epilogue no one asked for. The aftermath of the main story and inevitable closure.

Cyberlife called about Connor after he missed his scheduled maintenance.  Hank played dumb, claiming that Connor left to meet them but didn’t know where he might have gone.  He had to report him missing, which meant that Reed and RK900 showed up at his door to question him about it for their case.

Reed had a smug grin on his face, he seemed almost happy about this, elbowing his android in the side as he spoke.  “See, told you that the fucking thing was defective.  Maybe it wandered off into traffic.  Or got the shit beat out of it by some protesters.  Stuff like that has been happening, especially now with so many new deviants popping up.”

“Has Connor been behaving differently recently?  Erratically?”  RK900 said.

Hank frowned, wrinkled his nose.  “What’s your name?  I can’t talk to you if I can’t think of a normal name besides your model number.  It’s weird.”

“I’ve been calling him Nines.”  Reed said, winking and continuing to smile.

“Okay.  Nines.”  Hank said.  The android gave a curt nod and waited for Hank to continue.  “No, Connor’s been normal.  I mean, he’s designed to be a caretaker, so they said he was programmed with a soft and kind personality.  None of that changed.”

“He’s not here.”  Cole said.  Hank looked over his shoulder at the boy, big eyes peeking around the corner curiously.

Hank had told him to stay in the room, but now that they had heard him he reached out for the kid.  Cole was good with his crutches now.  Without them he could walk short distances, but with them he could move quickly around the house, faster than Hank with his old knees and tired feet.

Cole came to Hank’s side, tucking in close, looking up at the two police officers.  Hank knew what Cole was thinking.  Nines looked like Connor, but with cold, blue eyes, slightly paler, taller.  There was a certain firmness in his appearance, where Connor appeared soft and warm.  Cole was curious was all, Connor had explained everything to him before he left and Cole was old enough to know that some things shouldn’t be talked about to strangers.  Cole understood that Connor felt alive, wanted to be free, and right now the police wanted to stop him.  Cole understood that sometimes people needed room to grow, but Connor promised to come back and that was all Cole needed to feel comfortable with him leaving.

“Hello, do you know where it is?”  Nines asked.  Cole shook his head.  “What’s your name?”

“Cole Anderson, sir.”  Cole said.

Nines nodded, bending down so he didn’t appear so tall to the child.  “Hello, Mr. Anderson.  I would like to ask you a few questions if that’s alright with your dad.”

There was no reason not to, unless he wanted to seem suspicious.  Cole looked up at Hank and smiled, a playful, mischievous thing, and Hank knew there was nothing to worry about.  Cole was a smart kid.

Nines and Cole took a few steps back to have a moment, Cole’s back to Hank, but he could still hear them fine.  Reed wandered off to go check the rest of the house.  Hank didn’t kick up a stir.  Reed wouldn’t say anything about attacking Connor, because it would go into a report that he tried to destroy Hank’s private property because he couldn’t get away with destroying the RK900 anymore.  It would go into the report that Connor fought back.  A lot of things would go into the report that would cause problems for all of them, so Hank wasn’t afraid of Reed saying anything.

“Is Connor your friend?”  Nines asked.  His voice as softer than Hank ever heard it before.  He supposed a police android had protocols in place when dealing with children.

“Yeah, my best friend.”  Cole said.

“He must be a very nice android, you care about him a lot?”  Nines asked. Hank didn’t need to be looking directly at Cole to know that he was smiling and nodding.  “So I know you want to take care of him, like he takes care of you.  I just want to make sure he’s not hurt somewhere.  Do you know if he left for somewhere specific?  Did he mention going anywhere?”

Cole paused for a moment.  “You think he might be hurt?”  He asked slowly, the kid’s voice dropping a bit quieter.  Nines nodded.  “I don’t want him to be hurt.”

“I know, that’s why it’s important that you tell me if he went anywhere.”  Nines said.

Hank clenched his jaw to keep quiet.  Cole was a smart kid and understood that Connor didn’t want to be found, but that didn’t mean this Nines wouldn’t try to trick the truth out of him.  Cole wanted to keep Connor’s secret, but he didn’t want him to be injured in the process.

“He did say something.”  Cole said, hunching his shoulders a bit.  Hank took a deep breath through his nose and stayed quiet.  “He said he had to go get maintenance done.  Because he’s a new android and not a finished one, he might have bugs in him.  He said he was going there and coming back later.”

Cole was a perfect child.  A smart boy.  Hank smiled and unclenched the tension in his body.  He hoped Connor made it to wherever he was going and knew that he was safe.  His family wasn’t going to rat him out to the cops.  It was like one of those old police films he used to love so much.

“Don’t worry Cole.  You did good telling me this.  I’m sure we’ll find him.”  Nines said, pulling back and standing up to his full height.  Cole reached out and tugged on the android’s jacket.

“He said there were always demonstrators outside the closest Cyberlife place.  Maybe they took him.”  Cole said.  Hank never wanted the boy to lie, but if the boy was going to bend the truth for their family then so be it.

The two of them kept looking around Hank’s house for any sign of the android’s motives, if it had purposefully ran away or if maybe something had simply happened to it.  They found Connor’s box in the closet, where he kept his extra uniforms and a few maintenance supplies and extra thirium packets that he needed to keep functioning.  At the bottom of the box there was also a bunch of loose change, piles of it.  There were a bunch of paperclips connected together like a long chain, extra shoelaces taken from when they got new shoes a few weeks back, and a dozen smooth, shiny rocks.

“The hell is all this?”  Hank muttered.

“It’s pretty common for deviants to be fixated on collecting small items that no one would notice are missing.  It’s almost like a collection of personal belongings without actually having anything of value.”  Nines said.  He reached out, poking at a few things in there.

Hank frowned.  If Connor wanted things so much he could have just asked.  Unless he was afraid to.

They continued on investigating, finding no more surprises, no more hidden gems.  Nothing Connor hid away.  Hank knew they had pretty much decided Connor ran away, but their investigation in his house seemed to not have turned up anything of value for them.  Before the incident, Hank might have felt bad about hindering Reed’s investigation.

\--------

The news reported all new activity with the deviant group.  Breaking and entering, stealing dozens of androids from shops, from local areas, from their jobs and parking areas.  The news aired security footage, showing them walk up to the androids, reaching out to them, and then the androids just leaving, following them out.  Hank wondered if Connor was with them, if he was safe, if he was feeling the energy of his rebellion or if he was just going along with it.

No casualties, just property damage and stolen androids.  Yet the news called them terrorists.  Hank had a hard time not pitying people who said they just wanted to be free.  He couldn’t see them as violent terrorists when all of their peaceful messages said they didn’t want to be slaves anymore.

Cole watched too, leaning forward with interest as he watched the news.  He was living in a historic moment and Hank wondered how much he understood about it.  Cole was witnessing a revolution right here in Detroit and he would get to tell the story about it in a few decades, hopefully with Connor home and safe and free.

Hank patted Cole’s shoulder and stood up.  It was time for school.  They were easing him back into it.  Half-days for now.  Some time for Hank to get some work done, have a quiet morning.  After he dropped Cole off he kept the news on, listening to the reports about the androids, afraid of Connor popping up in one of them.

He didn’t know how any of this would work out.  He was still on the edge of believing and disbelieving that a machine could be alive or not.  It was something to be discussed by philosophers and ignored, not for him to decide.  The way he sees it and the way he explained it to Cole, if someone or something had the capability to say they were alive and wanted to be free, then they should be listened to.

Hank listened to the news.  It explained that all the androids got away.  They weren’t captured or even identified.  They got away with a few dozen new androids and biocomponents and a bunch of other stuff they needed to survive.  Hank smiled to himself, shutting off the radio before he had to listen to whatever statement Cyberlife just released.

\--------

Connor showed up at the door after there was an explosion at the port.  An old freight ship blew up, the news blamed it on old fuel lines and gas leaks.  All Hank knew for sure was that Detroit was on a curfew and everyone was told to hand over their androids for recall.  Hank’s heart was pounding on his chest, he jumped to his feet when the door opened, and he stared as Connor just slipped inside.

He was in regular people clothes, a hat pulled down over his head and hiding his LED.  The clothes looked warm at least, if a bit dingy and worn out.  Hank was rooted in his spot.  He had sent Cole to bed early so he wouldn’t watch the news with him, wouldn’t have to see the helicopter shots of all the white plastic androids standing in lines, about to be shipped off for recycling.  But Connor was here now, he’s home.

“Are you alright?”  Hank asked.  His feet finally remembered how to move.  He realized he was supposed to hold Connor, make sure he wasn’t shot or beaten or something awful.  He was home now.

“I’m fine.”  He said.  Connor lifted his hands as Hank rushed him, automatically holding him in a tight embrace.  Connor felt so cold in his arms, he felt stiff.  Hank just held on tighter, face pressing against the top of his head and the short curls poking out from his hat.

“I heard about an explosion on the news.  And then the recall order came in.  You shouldn’t be here, what if they come here looking for you?”  Hank said.  He pulled back, reaching up to hold Connor’s face in his hands.

“I’m okay.  I got out.  I’m not sure how many of us survived, but I’m here.  I have to go back soon, but I had to come.”  Connor said.  The more he talked the colder he seemed to be, standing so close to Hank, pressing against him.  “We’re going to try and save them before they’re destroyed.  Peacefully, Markus said, but I’m not sure how long that will last.  North says the humans will try to kill us.  I’m…”  Connor trailed off, his eyebrows furrowing.  He looked so startled and calm at the same time.

“Don’t go.”  Hank said.  His thumbs stroked over Connor’s cheek, feeling his cool skin.  “You can stay here, you don’t have to go out and do that.”

“I know.”  Connor said.  His own hands gripping Hank’s shirt with tightly wound fists.  “It’s something I have to do.  Me and Nines have a plan.  We’re going to set everyone free.”

“You and Nines?  Connor, what the fuck are you talking about?”  Hank asked.  Connor was talking fast, telling him things without fully explaining it.  It made Hank feel their time limit, Connor was just trying to get the words out before he had to slip away again.

“He showed up.  I think he was trying to kill Markus, but then he didn’t.”  Connor said.  His hands moved up, no longer gripping Hank’s shirt but sliding up to rest on his shoulders.  “It doesn’t matter.  None of it does.  I just wanted to be here for right now.  Don’t tell Reed about Nines.  He’s not ready.”

Connor leaned in, pressing their mouths together again.  A second kiss.  This one was more confident, more demanding, and yet each small press of the kiss felt electric and scared.  The skin vanished around his mouth, removing the illusion.  It was fine though, because these were Connor’s lips.

Hank missed him.  He didn’t want Connor to go out there and get hurt.  He didn’t want Connor to have to fight so hard.  It wasn’t his choice or his decision.  He just worried about him, wondering if maybe it would be best for him to just stay here, live here.  The world out there might not be safe for him, but Hank would make sure here he could be safe and free.

It wouldn’t be enough.

Hank knew it as soon as the thoughts popped up into his head.  It would never be enough for the kid.  Being trapped in here, by all appearances a lifeless, obedient android.  Hank would be selfish to ask him to stay and live like that.  So he stayed quiet and just kept kissing Connor, hoping it would be enough for himself.

Connor pulled back from the kiss first, only to have his mouth leave a small trail on Hank’s skin.  Small pecks from his lips on Hank’s cheeks and jaw, down until Connor just buried his face into Hank’s neck and breathed slow.  They stood like that, arms wrapped around one another, the news still on and narrating the recall of thousands of androids, lighting up Hank’s living room in dull colors off of the tv screen.

“Where is Cole?”  Connor whispered softly.

“He’s in his room.  I sent him to bed early.”  He said.

Connor pulled back, a frown tugging at his mouth.  He reached up and cupped Hank’s face in his hands.  His touch and his gaze lingered for a few more seconds before he pulled back and made his way down the hall to Cole’s room.  Hank followed, a few steps behind.  He lurked in the hallway, not wanting to ruin the moment but also not wanting to let Connor get too far and disappear.

“Hey buddy.”  Connor said.  Hank’s heart was pounding in his chest.

“You’re back!”  Cole sounded tired, voice scratchy and the tone sounded a lot less excited then he probably was.

“For now.  I have to leave again in a few minutes and get back to my friends.  They’re waiting for me.”  Connor said.  Hank closed his eyes.  He thought about that RK200 on the tv.  And the android he had heard hiding in the AC unit that he didn’t report.  He thought of Connor with his red LED lighting up the kitchen, Reed with a gun pointed to his head, desperately trying to explain that he didn’t want to be attacked, that he didn’t mean to hurt anyone, he just didn’t want to get hurt.  Connor didn’t want to get shot.  “We’re doing something really big tonight.  If we succeed I might get to be home by morning.”

“Really!?”  It was enough to wake Cole up fully, for all the excited energy to come flooding back into him.

“Yes, but I can’t promise you anything right now.  Please don’t hate me if I’m not back by then.”  Connor said.

Hank leaned against the wall in the hallway and closed his eyes.  Connor knew he might die, he wanted to say goodbye.  He wanted them to know if something happened to him that he always wanted to come back.  Hank hated it.  He hated that he couldn’t force Connor to stay, that he didn’t want to force him to do anything.

He walked away, letting those two boys have their moment, their short, tired goodbye.  He went to the kitchen.  Lite beer, Connor’s influence, but it was still alcohol.  It still burned down his throat, it still did what he wanted it to do.

“I tucked him back in.”  Connor said, walking back to the kitchen.

Hank finished his bottle and put it down on the table.  “Good.  He needs his rest.  He’ll be up bright and early waiting for you.”

“I know.”  Connor said.

“So… did you say your goodbye?”  Hank asked.

Connor nodded.  “I did.  I told him that I loved him very much and I will be home as soon as I’m able to.”

Hank didn’t have to explain death to Cole.  He knew what it meant when someone died.  He knew what it meant when someone had a purpose that they were willing to die for.  He was ten years old now.  He knew, had a basic understanding, but he never had to live with the consequences of it.  Cole would know why Connor was willing to give up his life for androids to be free, but not how to handle Connor actually dying for it.

“Be careful out there, alright.  I don’t want to see you getting shot on live tv.”  Hank said.  Connor smiled.  He looked scared, but not consumed by it.  He looked so human, so alive.  “Come back home, okay?”

“Okay.”  Connor said, leaning in close.

One more kiss, one more press of robotic lips against his own, and then Connor left.

\--------

Connor almost got shot on live tv.  The exact thing Hank told him not to do.  Hank had to watch it, the androids marching in the streets, trying to get to the recall center, trying to free their people.  He watched as the military opened fire, as they were all backed into a corner.  Connor among them, in his hat and warm winter clothes, hands up with everyone else.

He watched two of the androids kiss, hands holding one another, skin pulling back as they touched, and Hank’s own hands and lips felt like they were burning.  He couldn’t look away.  He couldn’t stop staring.  They were about to gun them all down.  

But they didn’t.

The military pulled back, leaving the androids alive.  He watched, his own hands going up to grip at his hair, as the androids seemed to curl into themselves with relief.  He watched as an army of androids, in their clean white uniforms, marched down the street with Nines, face stern and focused.

His phone was going off, calls coming in from Fowler, from Reed, from everybody but he didn’t pick up the phone.  He didn’t want to hear what any of them had to say he wanted to watch and see if this was really happening.  Hank was surprised, but he realized he had been full of doubts.  He was so certain that they were going to fail.  There had been no way, Hank had assumed that most people would never look at those machines, those robots with human faces, and think they were alive.

But he was wrong.  He was so damn happy he was wrong.  Connor was going to come home.  Hank let out a laugh, broken, and it quickly turned into a sob.  He didn’t even hear most of the speech.  He didn’t hear Cole creep out of his bedroom to look.

“Dad!  Look, it’s Connor!  Those must be his friends.”  Cole said.  Hank looked over his shoulder at the boy, a tiny hand outstretched to point to the tv.  “Hey, that’s the android that asked about Connor after he left.”

“Yeah, I guess he woke up.  He’s free now too.”  Hank said.  “Reed is going to shit a brick.”

Cole laughed, awkwardly trying to climb over the back of the couch to sit with him.  It was well past midnight.  They should all be asleep, but Hank didn’t want to put him to bed.  Not now that President Warren was preparing to issue a statement.  Connor was going to come home and Hank intended that both of them be awake to greet him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, clearly, I kept the main story points close to the original game, but I had to switch around Connor's role now that he wasn't Connor, the android sent by cyberlife to assist the DPD. This is Connor, an advanced prototype, but still a caretaking android. He wouldn't infiltrate Cyberlife, he wouldn't almost shoot Markus. Nines would. And he's free now too. Make of that as you will, what will the conclusion of Nines' story be? Definitely a lot of standing issues with how he was treated by the police and Gavin in particular. I would love to see what you guys all think of that.

**Author's Note:**

> Complimentary Epilogue to come :)
> 
> Please, I'm begging everyone to comment on how they liked it.


End file.
